Students

Morning came and Andrew was awoken by a steady knock on his door. He rose with difficulty from his bed and opened the door to see one of the servants waiting patiently there.

"Good morning, Sir Andrew. I hope you had a good slee.." he stopped as he saw the black circles under Andrew's eyes.

*Cough*"Breakfast will be served in the main hall. Here is a new set of clean clothes." the servant said before handing some clothes to Andrew.

"I'll have someone wait for you to get ready and escort you there." he said politely.

Andrew nodded before closing the door. In truth, he did have a very good sleep. It was just that it was too short. He spent most of the night playing around with the system. It wasn't fruitless though. The system was an incredible cheat. Just that inventory skill he gained was amazing. It reminded him of those incredible cultivators who had the space element and had their own pocket dimensions. He could basically store anything that fit in the 1 cubic metre and also take it out immediately with just a thought. Not to mention the fact that he could absorb an entire book in a second. Well, he was passed out for half an hour afterwards but it was still worth it!

He got dressed and left his room. A servant was waiting for him and showed him the way. Soon, they reached a huge hall with four marble pillars supporting it. In the middle of the hall, a big table with many chairs could be seen. Aisha and Vlad were already at the table chatting. Soon, they noticed Andrew.

"Ah you are finally here. Why do you look like that? Did you not get enough sleep?" asked Vlad.

"Yeah, you look terrible." continued Aisha.

"Haha, I couldn't really sleep. Must be the change of scenery." he replied as he took a seat at the table. He hasn't even told Aisha about the system so how could he trust Vlad who he's just met?

"Before eating, there is something I must talk to you about. As you know, I am quite the important person around here.."Vlad stopped as if he was expecting some approval from the siblings but he only got blank stares.

"Ahem, many people know me and many are watching my every move. Too many people have seen you two following me when we arrived. This could bring complications to your stay here and to your future in the academy. So anyway, I brought you these." he continued and threw two white masks on the table. There were some golden patterns inscribed on them.

"These are Light Transformation Masks. Once you put them on your face, you just have to think about how you want your face to change and the people around you will see that version of you. It is quite a smart way of using the light elements around to fool the eyes of other people. It won't work on people stronger than Scholars though. Those can see through the movements of elements easily. There should be a few teachers at this level but you don't have to worry about them. After all, there are many students with complicated backgrounds and this kind of mask is quite commonly used in that place." Vlad explained.

Andrew glanced at the masks and thought.

[Inspect]

[Light Transformation Mask - Common Magic Tool

A mask made from Light Rocks and White Devil teeth. Moves the light elements around in order to change the wearer's face. The effect is stronger during the day and weaker throughout the night.]

"If they use the light elements then won't that mean that the effect is weak during the night?" asked Andrew as if he just thought about that.

"Correct, very good question Andrew. That's why I also brought you these." Vlad answered and threw two necklaces on the table.

[Inspect]

[Light Elemental Necklace - Common Magic Tool

A necklace made from a Golden Eagle's claws. Capable of storing 500 units of light element Mana.]

[Inspect has leveled up.]

"These will store light mana during the day, which will be used by the masks during the night."Vlad explained.

"Another problem is posed by your elements which will definitely bring unwanted attention. For Aisha it should still be fine as there are still others with the life element in the academy. But your situation is another matter, that's why I've prepared you this." He said while handing a blue pearl to Andrew.

"This is a Water Elemental Sphere. You can use it to pass by as a water element cultivator. It will let you use some of the most basic water spells. Just say that your elemental affinity is not that high."

"Anyway, I've registered you with the academy. You are actually in luck. You came exactly when the second part of this academic year starts so you are free to choose the courses you would like. Though, you should probably head there in a bit as I think the selection ends at 2 pm today." he said while seeping from his drink.

"I'll have one of my servants wear one of these masks and escort you there." he continued."For now you should finish eating and get familiar with these accessories."

They chatted a bit more as they ate before the siblings took the magic tools and left with the servant. The servant showed them how to use the tools and they quickly altered their looks before leaving towards the academy.

After what seemed an infinite lefts and rights to Andrew, the trio finally reached a huge steel gate. As they entered, the siblings were stunned. What greeted their sights was a grand castle, it was the castle they saw when they were flying towards the city!

As if seeing through their thoughts the servant quickly spoke.

"The Academy nurtures young talents in order to increase the number of powerhouses humanity has. All the powerful people who protect this place have come from here. It is the core of our Guardian City. So naturally, its location and appearance must reflect that." he said confidently.

The siblings nodded as they continued walking towards the entrance of the castle.

"The way courses are chosen is quite lax. If you want to take a course, you just have to look at the requirements and if you meet them, then you can go ahead and take it. There aren't even any entrance tests. The Academy welcomes all people with open arms. However, the graduation criteria is quite strict, and the biannual exams are hard. You can take whatever courses you like as long as you meet the required number, but make sure you will also be able to pass the exams. In the end, it all boils down to whether you are able to remain in the academy until you graduate. But anyway, you two will find out all about this in your introduction."

"My job here is done, once you enter you'll naturally have people who will guide you through the process. I wish you good luck." the servant said as he turned and left. The siblings looked at each other before shrugging and continuing forward.

Andrew and Aisha quickly reached the entrance of the castle which was wide open, with people gushing in and out in a hurry. As they wanted to enter, they were quickly stopped by a tall girl. She seemed around 20 years old and had long straight black hair which was accompanied by dark brown eyes. All in all, she was definitely a beauty. She wore a passive expression as she asked.

"Reason for entry?"

"We are here to enroll." Answered Andrew with a smile.

"As everyone else, a surprise indeed." the girl wore the same stoic expression as she handed each of them a small booklet.

"These contain information about the courses available. You must take a number of five courses in your first semester, of which at least two must relate to cultivation and at least one other must relate to a magic occupation." she continued.

"Magic occupation?" Aisha interrupted.

"You will find all about that in the booklets. Once you have decided, you can go to register at the reception. You'll have to complete an application with your personal details and courses you wish to attend. Now go, there is already a line behind you." she said impatiently. As the siblings looked back, they indeed saw six other people standing behind them so they quickly rushed inside.